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The Season So Far: Envision Racing setting the pace in 2023

16 May 2023

OVER HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEASON AND ENVISION RACING NOW LEAD THE TEAMS’ AND DRIVERS’ STANDINGS. HERE’S HOW THEY GOT TO THE TOP…

It has been one of the most entertaining and hotly-contested seasons of Formula E since it all began way back in 2014. Nine races have been completed, seven are left, and – crucially – with the halfway point of the season passed, Nick Cassidy leads the Drivers’ Championship standings, and his team, Envision Racing, head the Teams’ Championship order.

Following a sensational run of back-to-back victories, Cassidy left the top step of the podium amid the glamour of Monaco with a 21-point lead in the title race over nearest challenger Mitch Evans. As well as this, thanks to combined points hauls from Cassidy and team-mate Sébastien Buemi, Envision Racing heads to the Jakarta E-Prix with a 14-point advantage over second-placed Porsche.

In the wake of that historic Monaco E-Prix victory, here is a look back at how Cassidy and Envision Racing have powered to the top of Formula E in 2023.

ROUND 1: MEXICO E-PRIX 
NICK CASSIDY 9th
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI 6th

The opening E-Prix of the 2022–23 Formula E World Championship was also the first race of the GEN3 era of Formula E. The faster, more efficient generation of racing machinery would be tested out for the first time in competitive conditions, and for Envision Racing, the Mexico E-Prix would mark the first time racing with a Jaguar powertrain.

It would also prove to be a solid start to the campaign. Buemi made the knock-out phase of qualifying, and starting seventh, drove superbly to defend artfully from António Félix da Costa to take sixth at the flag, with Cassidy coming home ninth to get early points on the board.

ROUNDS 2+3: DIRIYAH E-PRIX 
NICK CASSIDY 6th+13th
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI 4th+6th

On the streets of Diriyah, in just his second E-Prix for Envision Racing, Buemi really showed what he and his new employers were capable of.

 

The Swiss driver bagged pole position for the opening race of the weekend, his 100th in Formula E, and came home fourth. The following day, after a dramatic race, Buemi underlined his consistency in Saudi Arabia with sixth. For team-mate Cassidy, race two in Diriyah was one to forget with a 13th place finish and no points.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 3):

  1. Pascal Wehrlein, 68pts
  2. Jake Dennis, 62pts
  3. Sébastien Buemi, 31pts
  4. Sam Bird, 28pts
  5. Jake Hughes, 27pts
  6. Nick Cassidy, 10pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 3):

  1. Avalanche Andretti, 76pts
  2. Porsche Formula E Team, 74pts
  3. McLaren Formula E Team, 53pts
  4. Envision Racing, 41pts
  5. Jaguar TCS Racing, 39pts

ROUND 4: HYDERABAD E-PRIX 
NICK CASSIDY 2nd
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI 15th

In February, Envision Racing and Formula E headed to India for the first time. And it was on the streets of Hyderabad where the team really started to look like championship contenders, as Cassidy surged from ninth on the grid to second at the flag with team-mate Buemi behind in third.

It was joy for Cassidy but only short-lived elation for Buemi – who was slapped with a post-race penalty for energy overuse. The Swiss driver ended up 15th and pointless in India, cruelly ending his three-race points-scoring run.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 4):

  1. Pascal Wehrlein, 80pts
  2. Jake Dennis, 62pts
  3. Jean-Éric Vergne, 31pts
  4. Sébastien Buemi, 31pts
  5. Nick Cassidy, 28pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 4):

  1. Porsche Formula E Team, 101pts
  2. Avalanche Andretti, 78pts
  3. Envision Racing, 59pts
  4. McLaren Formula E Team, 53pts
  5. Jaguar TCS Racing, 42pts

ROUND 5: CAPE TOWN E-PRIX 
NICK CASSIDY 3rd
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI 5th

The spectacular surrounds of Cape Town provided the stage for round five of the championship, and once again Cassidy showed race-winning pace. The Envision Racing driver took a well-deserved third place, and with the two championship leaders failing to score any points, the battle for both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles was wide open.

As Cassidy celebrated a second consecutive podium, team-mate Buemi was forced to doggedly fight back from 15th to a stellar fifth, following an early-race incident with a wayward Pascal Wehrlein. As a result, Envision Racing left South Africa second in the Teams’ Championship standings.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 5):

  1. Pascal Wehrlein, 80pts
  2. Jake Dennis, 62pts
  3. Jean-Éric Vergne, 50pts
  4. António Félix da Costa, 46pts
  5. Nick Cassidy, 43pts
  6. Sébastien Buemi, 41pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 5):

  1. Porsche Formula E Team, 126pts
  2. Envision Racing, 84pts
  3. Avalanche Andretti, 80pts
  4. McLaren Formula E Team, 66pts
  5. DS Penske, 61pts

ROUND 6: SAO PAULO E-PRIX 
NICK CASSIDY 2nd
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI 10th

Brazil welcomed Envision Racing for a third consecutive race on a new circuit in the shape of the São Paulo E-Prix. Starting fifth, once again, Cassidy dialed into the unfamiliar layout with aplomb, executing multiple overtakes, ending the race just 0.284 seconds behind eventual winner Evans, and leaping into third place in the Drivers’ Championship order.

In Brazil, Buemi was forced to battle back from an incident that left him nursing badly injured hands, sealing a tenacious 10th and a vital point.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 6):

  1. Pascal Wehrlein, 86pts
  2. Jake Dennis, 62pts
  3. Nick Cassidy, 61pts
  4. Jean-Éric Vergne, 60pts
  5. António Félix da Costa, 58pts
  6. Sébastien Buemi, 42pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 6):

  1. Porsche Formula E Team, 144pts
  2. Envision Racing, 103pts
  3. Jaguar Racing, 83pts
  4. DS Penske, 82pts
  5. Avalanche Andretti, 80pts

ROUNDS 7+8: BERLIN E-PRIX 
NICK CASSIDY 5th+1st
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI 4th+20th

Back on familiar territory for the Berlin E-Prix double-header, it all came together for Envision Racing on the punishing concrete of Tempelhof Airport. For the weekend’s opening race, Buemi bagged a second pole position of the season, eventually coming home in fourth. Cassidy, meanwhile, was forced to recover from a mid-race pit stop to follow Buemi home in fifth and frustrated.

All that frustration evaporated after the second Berlin race. That elusive maiden GEN3 victory finally came as Cassidy mixed strategy and customary aggressive overtaking to withstand   immense late-race pressure and win the team’s first race of the season, and seal his second career win.

The result meant Cassidy headed to the Monaco E-Prix just four points off the Drivers’ Championship summit.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 8):

  1. Pascal Wehrlein, 100pts
  2. Nick Cassidy, 96pts
  3. Jean-Éric Vergne, 81pts
  4. Jake Dennis, 80pts
  5. Mitch Evans, 76pts
  6. Sébastien Buemi, 57pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 8):

  1. Porsche Formula E Team, 168pts
  2. Envision Racing, 153pts
  3. Jaguar Racing, 138pts
  4. DS Penske, 107pts
  5. Avalanche Andretti, 103pts

ROUND 9: MONACO E-PRIX 
NICK CASSIDY 1st
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI 8th

Some of the most famous names in motorsport have won at Monaco, and Cassidy added his name to that illustrious list. Fresh from victory in Berlin, and with the championship lead up for grabs, the Envision Racing charger was in imperious form. 

Starting ninth, Cassidy made a lightning start, and after a series of breathtaking overtakes, and some measured defensive driving, held off Evans to win under a late-race safety car. The result ensured the lead of the Drivers’ Championship was Cassidy’s, with a hat-trick of victories in sight as Envision Racing heads to Indonesia and the Jakarta E-Prix.

Behind Cassidy, Buemi did his part for the team, battling back from his 15th place qualifying position to come home in eighth, and ensure the team are on top of the world in every respect with plenty more to come for the remaining seven races.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 9):

  1. Nick Cassidy, 121pts
  2. Pascal Wehrlein, 100pts
  3. Jake Dennis, 96pts
  4. Mitch Evans, 94pts
  5. Jean-Éric Vergne, 87pts
  6. Sébastien Buemi, 61pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 9):

  1. Envision Racing, 182pts
  2. Porsche Formula E Team, 168pts
  3. Jaguar Racing, 157pts
  4. Avalanche Andretti, 119pts
  5. DS Penske, 105pts